Between 2009 and 2012, states cut a total of $4.35 billion in public mental-health spending from their budgets. According to a report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, significant cuts to general fund appropriations for state mental health agencies have translated into a severe shortage of services, including housing, community-based treatment and access to psychiatric medications. "Increasingly, emergency rooms, homeless shelters and jails are struggling with the effects of people falling through the cracks," the report says, "due to lack of needed mental health services and supports."
South Carolina ($187.3 million in 2009 to $113.7 million in 2012, -39.3 percent): The director of the local NAMI chapter says the state’s mental-health department is “approaching crisis mode with funding at 1987 levels.” After closing community mental-health centers and reducing services at its remaining facilities, the department is now serving thousands fewer patients.Alabama ($100.3 million in 2009 to $64.2 million in 2012, -36 percent): Alabama has one of thelowest numbers of psychiatrists [PDF] per capita in the nation. Despite rising demand for psychiatric hospital beds, Alabama plans to close most of its state mental hospitals this spring, laying off 948 employees.Alaska ($125.6 million in 2009 to $84.7 million in 2012, -32.6 percent): Alaska has the nation’s No. 2 suicide rate—and a massive mental-health workforce shortage. Sometimes there is not a singlepsychiatrist or psychiatric nurse [PDF] available at the mental-health center in Fairbanks, the state’s second-largest city.
while instead of harsher gun laws we debate the need to clamp down on the mentalli ill, but th states don't sem to think it very important or they just don't care if you or members of your family die by guns, that accsessment should be made by those in the states that put little value on who gets a gun in their hand.
it's safe IMO to say there are not enough states or politicians the care but let's be fair if they don't why haven't those voters kicked them out leaving the question of who really doesn't care the ones that are stagnant or the ones that condone it by re-electing?
